Imadoki: Don't Cry
by OfficiallyObsessedwithPyro
Summary: Spinoff after Daffodil. Tanpopo's friends from Hokkaido get worried and come for a little trip after they find out what happened with Koki and Erika. Mostly a friend vs friend thing. PG for MAYBE one or two swear words...TEMPORARY HIATUS
1. Forgotten

_Authoress: OfficiallyObsessedwithPyro_

_Inspiration: uh...reading? ... I think it was somewhere in Daffodil... No, wait... maybe it was one of my many muses...but they're so lazy, so I don't know..._

_DC: HEY! I am not LAZY!_

_Niile: Neither am I!_

_Nothing: Nor I!_

_Pyro: All of you shut up. I don't have time for this._

_Summary (or, in other words: "What the hell is this about, anyway?"): A little thing on Tanpopo's friends back in Hokkaido. Right... Also some references to other people and some random pairings as I'm reeeally high on sugar right now...a whole bag of cookies, soda and skittles will do that to a girl... A friend on friend battle...thing..._

_Rating: On the citrus scale this would probably be orange juice...as nothing much happens, only a little drama and...well, I can't tell you at the beginning, now can I?_

_And for all those people who have NO idea what I'm talking about, here it is:_

_Orange juice: PG-ish (made by Quickening ...I love those stories. Oh, and I'm only using this rating scale cuz it's interesting...note that I didn't make this up.)_

_Limeade: PG13_

_Sprite: R_

_Lemonade: stuff banned from _

* * *

_Imadoki: Don't Cry_

_Chapter One...ish..._

_By OfficiallyObsessedwithPyro_

* * *

The jar fell to the ground and shattered, pieces of glass flew everywhere. 

Tanpopo's eyes were wide, unseeing as she had lowered her gaze from the TV screen. Covering her mouth with her hand, she began to shake with feeling.

Confusion.

Anger.

Then finally, loss.

Yoji looked to the younger girl with a sympathetic look on his face. What could he say? His younger brother had just kissed a girl on live TV! And his brother didn't even _like_ that girl!

Tanpopo stared at the ground for a moment, and then walked slowly towards the closet next to the cabinet. Pulling out a broom and dustpan, she began to pick up the pieces of glass. She disposed of those in the trash can and with one last glance at the rose petals, dumped them in as well.

With a sigh, she turned to Yoji with a sad smile.

"I'm going home."

The older Kugyo boy nodded solemnly and let her pass to the door.

The door opened, the girl did not look back, and said, "_Don't tell him_." With that, she walked out of the room, leaving Yoji alone.

* * *

I ran. 

With all my heart, I ran from that terrible place and ended up running to somewhere _worse_.

There!

There, in that place I vowed never to go to again.

The ground is damp beneath my feet. My shoes are soaked and probably ruined from all of the mud and dirt.

I groan as I find that I've practically lost one shoe in a large amount of mud. _Forget the_ _shoe_, I think. _I'll just buy a new pair later when I can pay for them._

My new plight seems to have erased the old one from my mind.

Fresh tears fall down my face.

_Koki, why? Why would you kiss _her_? You told me you didn't care for her that way!_

_**LIAR!**_

_I'm such an idiot._

_I should have seen it coming, right?_

I have never felt so lost in my entire life. Large, bleak clouds are rolling in alarmingly fast and...although I was practically lost, I did have some clue to where I was. Getting to my feet, I was immediately met with a biting gust of wind that chilled me to the bone. Whose bright idea was it to run out into a storm without a jacket? Shaking off all my negative thoughts, I started off once more – only one shoe this time.

_Had I been so naive? Had I actually thought I could compare to her – Erika Yanahara, future wife of Koki Kugyo? They're engaged for goodness sakes. Couldn't I have just kept to myself, like I always do? Why did I have to go and fall for a guy who I certainly can't have? Why do I do this to myself?_

_Maybe I _am_ an idiot_, I thought with a frown.

Making my way up the concrete path, I watched as cars zoomed by me on my right.

_That's good_, I told myself. _That's good. You know where you are. Only a little further._

My, I must look so dreadful by now. My hair is matted and wet; my clothes are probably not repariable, and my shoes? Oh, my shoes are no longer "shoes," as now they are only, "shoe."

I **definitely** have some strange thoughts when I'm miserable.

Closing my arms farther around myself, I walked as swiftly as I could to seek refuge under some large awnings.

_I'm almost there_, I chided myself. _Just a little more. Just don't cry. Don't cry. DAMMIT, **DON'T CRY**!_

And there it was.

I sank to my knees and cried.

It wasn't like crying when I first found out that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny weren't real, or when my parents' death finally hit me.

It was like crying because I knew everything was over.

_Everything._

"Tanny-chan?" I hear a voice call from above me.

Shifting my gaze up, I notice a young girl – about nine or so – with blonde hair and pale blue eyes. So familiar...

"Satsuki?" I wonder aloud, confused.

The little girl smiles and shakes her head. "Nuh-uh. Satsuki is Mama." With a little smile, she offers me a hand.

"Sharon, then." I say, and she smiles. "Yes, yes!"

A young woman in a raincoat comes running up to us. "Sharon! Oh, my baby!" She came and picked up the child right off the ground.

"Mama," Sharon said with a smile, "I was just talking to Tanny-chan!"

Satsuki gave her daughter a glare and said in a stern voice, "Sharon! You know you dare not speak of her!"

"Suki-chan." I said, reaching out to the woman. "It's me. Tanpopo."

Satsuki looked at the high school girl blankly. "I'm sorry. I do not know you."

"Suki, don't be like that, please!" I cried, grabbing Satsuki's arm. "You remember me, don't you? I worked in your father's building. You'd have me watch Sharon while you studied. Momo-chan would always be around and we'd watch her and her brother too, while we worked. We were friends, good friends, and-!"

Satsuki shook off my hand and said stiffly, "I'm sorry, but you must be mistaken. I do not know anyone by that name."

Shrugging off the last of my attempts at catching her attention, Satsuki carried Sharon off in the opposite direction I had been heading in.

Letting my shoulders slump, I fell to my knees once more. "Satsu-chan didn't even recognize me. What will happen when I get to _their_ house?"

With another sad sigh, I resumed walking to my destination.

_Don't think_. I told myself. _Just don't think._

* * *

**_DING DONG!_**

**_DING DONG!_**

**_DING DONG!_**

_"Oh, don't everyone jump to get the door at once,"_ I grumble as I head down the stairs. Honestly, sometimes I don't know why we _pay_ the servants around here. They don't really do anything.

Opening the door, I'm surprised at who is standing there.

In my doorway - _my doorway_ - is Tanpopo Yamazaki.

"Tanpopo Yamazaki?!" I ask confused. _She's not supposed to be here, is she? What's going on? Why is she here? Did something happen to-_

_Oh, she's talking._

"Hi, Yama-kun." She says quietly.

_Well, that's a good sign. At least she's not calling me Yama-sama...I always hated that...oh, talking again._

"I'm sorry to trouble you with this," She blushes prettily. "But I don't have anywhere else to go...I don't really need to stay long. I just have to use your phone." In an afterthought, she adds, "If you'd allow me to, I'd appreciate it. Um, please?"

I blink, and then pause.

_She's squirming under my gaze._

_Ha, I've always loved to make her squirm._

_OW! I just hit myself on the head. What kind of dufus am I?_

She giggles.

"Come on in," I tell her. She smiles slightly and walks in.

"Tan-ga, you are soaking wet. I'll find you something to wear." I say, using her old nickname. She glares half-heartedly, and I wonder what happened to her.

"The phone's over there," I say, pointing to where the phone sits on the side table. Walking off towards the stairs to my room, I begin to ponder why Tan-ga came to me in the first place...

_Wasn't it – Didn't she – Last time..._

_Last time I saw her..._

_Didn't she hate me?_

* * *

_Dial the number, Tanpopo_. I tell myself. _Just dial the number. It's not hard. You know it by heart. He'll figure it out. He always does. Just pick up the phone and dial the number._

Taking a deep breath, I slowly pick up the phone and command my finger to press the first number.

Closing my eyes, I take one more deep breath, and when I open them again, I find that the line is already connecting.

"_Hello_?" The voice on the other side greets.

"Kazutaka-kun." I say with relief.

...if his sister had answered the phone...

...or worse, his mother...

_"Tan-chan? Is that you? What's going on? It's the middle of the night,"_ He goes on worriedly. _"Did something happen? Are you hurt? Are you bleeding? Are you in the hospital? Are they doing tests? What happened? Are you okay?"_

Kazutaka can always make me feel better.

"Kazu-kun, stop, I'm fine. I'm okay...I think." I try to assure him, but once he gets going on one of his rants, it's better to just let him go to it.

_"But why are you calling in the middle of the night? Not that I mind that much, but I was having a particularly good dream, and not that I mind coming back to this reality, but it was a pretty darn good dream, and – never mind that, are you okay? Are you bleeding? Is there any lightheadedness? Any other symptoms? How many fingers am I holding up? Wait, don't answer that. Um, answer this, what's my name? Oh, that's not good, we've already assessed the matter of my name when we said hello, didn't we? Oh, and where are you now? Don't tell me you're at some Martian space-bus stop and you want me to come pick you up? Because I can't and my car doesn't get that kind of mileage. Oh, and another thing – if someone hurt you I'm gonna punch their lights out. Just point them out to me, Tan-chan. And you know I'd do it, too!"_

Before he gets too wrapped up in the whole "I'm gonna get to kill someone" thing, I think it's better to get some things straight. "Kazu-kun, it's okay, really. I'm alive and healthy. Maybe a little wet, and a bit worse for wear, but I'll survive. And I'm sorry I had to call so late...I must have lost track of the time...it must've taken an hour for me to get the courage to call..."

_"Tan-chan, what's wrong? You sound like you've been crying."_ He says, concerned.

I sniffle a bit and smile sadly. "It's nothing really...This afternoon I had my heart smashed into a zillion microscopic pieces that were cleaned up and threw into a trashcan."

I can hear him holding his breath. I'm sure by now he wants to become a hit-man and try to solve all of my problems, but before he continues to rant, I continue.

"Today was the rose exchange. You give a red rose to the person you love. They have to give you a reply with a white rose that means "I love you too," or a yellow rose, which means, "No thank you." Today was the last day of the festival...And I know it was stupid, but I made this bet with this girl that this guy would choose me over her. But then, you see, my friend, she's pregnant and she wanted to tell the father of the baby how much she loves him...so I gave her the last red rose." I took a breath. "Erika had already given her rose to Koki...And despite that, and with everything I knew, I still gave Arisa that last red rose to give to Ogata...and I didn't want to, part of me wanted to be selfish, and not quit planting committee or never see Koki again, but I just couldn't let Arisa be so disappointed if she didn't get to give Ogata that rose...I realized that I could tell him another time, so I was okay with loosing the bet. But then...I still wanted Koki to know how I feel, so when his brother, Yoji, offered to let me have his, I was so happy. But it fell apart, so he brought me to the infirmary and he found this jar, and told me to put the petals in it, and that it was only the thought that counts..." I was crying freely now. "And when we were leaving, and the TVs were on, because our friend, Aoi, was doing all these interviews for the whole event...and God, I must sound so stupid now..." Without a pause, I said quickly, "They kissed. Right on the television. I could see them...it was horrible, Kazutaka, just plain horrible. It was like everything, every word that Koki said to me about not caring for Erika that way...it just went away." Tears slid down my cheeks. "Everything was so twisted and wrong and I just couldn't take it anymore. The jar broke, so I cleaned that up so that Yoji wouldn't get into any trouble. And then I ran. My God, Kazu-kun, I ran. I ran so far, and then I was so tired and confused. I saw Satsuki and Sharon. Oh, Kazu, Suki pretended I didn't even exist! It was horrible. But then I came here, and Yama-kun opened the door, and he let me in, and it was okay. But I didn't want to call in the middle of the night, really, I just didn't know who else to call...you have classes in the morning, and I understand that, but I was just hoping that you'd listen for a little while, so..." I began to hiccup. I must sound so terrible. "I didn't know what to do, and everything just seemed to be thrown out of whack and I was so confused and I – I...I just needed to call you. I just needed to let someone know. I needed to let you know, that's all..." I pause. "Kazu? Oh, Kazu, you won't hate me for being selfish, will you?"

I can hear him breathing on the other side.

Is he _sleeping_ or something?

_"Tan-chan..."_ He starts._ "I'm glad you called me. And it's okay, really. Remember not to run down Yama's phone bill, though, okay?"_ He pauses uncertainly._ "I know it doesn't help much...but I'm sorry about that Koki guy."_

I chuckle through my tears. "Thanks, Kazu. You always know the right thing to say."

_"Not really..."_ He says,_ "I want you to know that I do care what's going on in your life, even if you're moving on from Hokkaido to such bigger, better things..."_

"They're not better!" I protest. "Hokkaido is my home, and I love it more than a thousand Tokyo's."

He laughed. _"Tan-chan, that doesn't even make any sense."_

I blush. "Right."

Yama-kun has come and set down some dry clothes for me. He sits down next to me on the couch.

_"Sorry,"_ Kazutaka says. _"I just wanted to let you know, that I want you to be comfortable talking to me like this. I'll always be here. I might not have all the answers, you know, but I'll try my best to help. How's that?"_

"It's a deal." I say with a smile. "But..." my smile instantly disappears. "What am I going to do about Koki...I can't avoid him all year. We're in the same class..."

Kazutaka thinks for a moment. _"In my opinion, he's not worth your time, Tan-chan. You could do sooo much better than him."_

"He's a good guy," I protest haughtily. "He's one of the only real people in that dreadful school!"

_"Hey,"_ he says, and I can hear a catch in his voice... _"Put Yama on the phone. I gotta talk to him real quick."_

I think for a minute, then hand the phone over to Yama-kun. "It's Kazutaka," I explain. "He says he wants to talk to you."

Yama-kun nods and takes the phone. After a few minutes of, "_yes_," "_that's right_," "_okay_," and some such things, Yama-kun finally hands the phone back to me.

"Kazu, what are you planning?" I ask the moment I get the phone back. "What is it?"

I can hear him try to sound innocent. _"Why, Tan-chan, what ever do you mean?"_

"What is it, Kazu?" I repeat, a bit louder this time, and he caves.

_"Fine, fine. Since you believe that he's the "only" real one in that "dreadful school" I've decided to let Yamato go to school with you."_

"What?!" I cry in confusion. "Kazu, don't joke!" I turn to Yama-kun. "Yama! You can't be serious!"

_"Serious we are. I know you don't like the idea right now,"_ Kazutaka tells me, _"But it's going to be okay, really. I promise."_

I frown and say unsurely, "Alright."

Kazutaka pauses. _"I'm going to attend school with you guys also – when I can get out of here. I've never broken a promise to you, and I've never lied to you before, Tan-chan, so trust me now, okay?"_

I smile and chuckle. "Okay, Kazu. When do you suppose you can come?"

_"A while from now – a week or two, maybe a month. But I'll be there soon, I mean it."_ Kazutaka...he's smiling on the other end. I can just tell. _"Be careful, and take care of yourself. I mean it, if anyone hassles you..."_ He let the threat hang.

_"Take care of yourself, and have fun babysitting Yama! I'll talk to you later."_ Kazutaka said in that carefree way of his._ "Bye, Tan-chan. See you soon!"_ And he hung up.

I stared at the phone for a moment before placing it back on its cradle. Turning to Yama-kun, I say quietly, "Would you mind very much if I...err..." I blush.

He nods in understanding. "Come on, you can have my room, and I'll take a guest room."

I tilt my head confusedly as he leads me up the stairs.

"The guest rooms are all pretty much bare," He explains. "I think it would be easier for you to sleep in my room...I mean..." He looks absolutely flustered. "I don't think it would be nice staying in a room that looks like it could be in a psycho ward."

I nod and he shows me to his room. Before I enter, I notice that there is a large sign on the door that proclaims, "No Trespassers. Violators will be shot. Survivors will be shot ...again." Then there are some other small post-its and such things stuck to the wooden door.

He opens it for me, and I notice that his room is much neater than I would have expected. The walls are a murky gray color, yes, but it has a rebellious charm to it. There's a small desk in the corner, covered in papers and magazines and books. On the right of the desk is a pile of papers and things, a red electric guitar set on top of them. Next to that in the corner was a small dark wood dresser with some magazines on top. Behind the desk was a futon that was propped up about six inches with a light gray comforter, and near that was a window with dark blue curtains. The wall on my left was covered with magazine cut-outs and posters surrounding a small closet. All of the walls were covered, in fact. Above the desk was an enormous logo of a 2 surrounded by a dragon in silver, blue, green, black, and red for the dragon's eyes.

"Wow." I breathed. _Yama-kun sure knows how to decorate!_

"I know it's messy," Yama-kun said airily, "But I never have the time to clean it. My parents are always sending me more work to do."

"No, no, I mean, I like it!" I say with a smile. "It's amazing!"

He chuckles. "Took me hours just to cut out those pictures. It amazes me I finished this place in less than a week."

"Wow." I repeat. "But...why do you say it's messy? It's so clean!"

He frowned. "I used to stay in this house a lot, but now I stay in a walk-in closet over in my aunt's house. She doesn't seem to mind as long as I'm civil to her and her daughters. Frankly, it's just a place to crash when I don't feel like facing my parents."

"So you go there a lot? To that other house?" I asked.

"Yeah, I guess. I stay weekends and holidays over there because it's so gloomy and lonely here." He paused and looked at me thoughtfully. "But I guess it won't be so lonely for a while, eh?"

"I don't want to impose," I say, staring at the floor. "But I _do_ like it here. I could move into a guest room...or..." I try to think of another alternative.

"No, it's okay. You stay in this room. You seem to like it enough." He smiles and his gray eyes hold mischief. "I think I'll go '**decorate**' all the other rooms. I wonder what my parents would say to that..."

"I'll help you!" I exclaim, grabbing his hand. "You can't do _all_ of that work by yourself!"

He grinned at me in that boyish way that he always had. "It's a deal."

* * *

And that's all for today. I'm off to work on homework and stuff. 

Bye.

_**Pyro**_

_**November 17, 2004**_


	2. Mobile

_Authoress: me (OfficiallyObsessedwithPyro, or just plain Pyro)_

_Inspiration: for the chapter…listening to music and reading a bunch of books today…Mostly the books…_

_Summary (or, in other words: "What the hell is this about, anyway?"): A little thing on Tanpopo's friends back in Hokkaido. Right... Also some references to other people and some random pairings. A friend on friend battle...thing...Note that the characters may be a bit ooc because of my mood…_

_Notes for this chapter (for cultural stuff) **AKA CULTURAL LESSON THING PART NUMBER ONE**: In Japan, usually the students are required to wear uniforms to school and take turns for clean up duty._

_As I live in the states, (and have visited a lot of places), I've found out that there are certain schools that let their students eat out in the quad (like a picnic area, but some are merely benches and others have tables), while some have open-lunch days, where the students are allowed off campus to eat. (So that explains the eating arrangements, because I'm mixing stuff up so much, nothing will be totally culturally correct all the time.) Next, with the honorifics._

_Honorifics used so far (the rest will be explained as the story progresses):_

_-sama: used as meaning that you have great respect for the person, higher than –san. (Example: Yama-sama)_

_-kun: suffix used at the end of boys' names to express familiarity. Also could be used by men among friends or when talking to someone younger. (Example: Yama-kun, Kazu-kun, etc.)_

_-chan: used to express endearment, mostly towards girls. All about the childish cuteness. (Example: Momo-chan, Tan-chan)_

_-(none): the lack of an honorific basically means that the speaker is allowed to address the person in an intimate way. Usually only family, spouses, or very close friends. If intimacy has not been earned, it can be considered insulting. (Example: Tanpopo calls Kazutaka, "Kazu" or "Kazutaka." She also addresses Yamato as "Yama" or "Yamato." Sometimes, the honorific will not be added onto last names in this story, so if that is the case, it probably means that I've somehow forgotten it. When there are non-speaking parts, and it is the "author's POV" then the honorific will not be used. However, if it were in a certain person's point of view, for example, Koki, then he would address Tanpopo as either "Tanpopo-kun" or "Yamazaki" as it is her last name. Got it?)_

_Other important notes AKA **CULTURAL LESSON THING PART NUMBER TWO**:_

"_Tan-ga" and "Ya-ku" (etc.): These pet names the people choose for one another aren't actually honorifics. Even though they have a similar meaning to –chan, they are usually invented by young women who want to appear cute and add cute sounds to the names of people in their inner circle (close female friends and boyfriends). These syllables make the name sound almost babylike, so when given to a gruff character (most times male) is massively inappropriate._

_ONWARD!_

_Rating: Orange juice_

_**Review Responses:**_

_**Artee and Sporky** (YOU REVIEWED FIRST! YOU ROCK! And yeah, I think that was a cool conversation too. And I know what you mean, about the Christmas present thing – me too. Technically, I'm not allowed to read any more manga (as I'm grounded), my presents have been placed in a safe for safe-keeping (ha, I know the combination anyway), and I'm on Christmas present duty – which means I have to get things for spoiled cousins and evil uncles and aunts…grrr… Thanks for reviewing!), **Kurama-obsessed** (I LOVE YOUR NAME! I'm obsessed with Kurama too, but Pyro is my num. 1 bishie, so I'm gonna go with that. I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for reviewing!), **bee bee** (The pairing is a secret. I usually do something stupid that ends up sounding kind of weird, but I'm taking my time on this one (that's why I "never" update…wracking the brain for ideas, y'know…). –evil laugh- you can't know the pairing yet, but it'll come. I'm trying not to put too many other side characters in as main characters, so maybe it will be someone like…-whispers-…umm…you'll have to guess! Thanks for reviewing!), **Kai Minomono** (Sorry it's out so late, I've been working my butt off trying to update things (ha, that's not going well). Thanks for reviewing!)_

* * *

_Imadoki: Don't Cry_

_Chapter Two_

_By OfficiallyObsessedwithPyro_

* * *

**Next Day**

_DONG. DONG. DONG._

The five-minute warning for school rang loudly over the campus. Students began to hurry towards their classrooms so that they would not be tardy.

Tanpopo smiled a bit as she and Yamato walked into Meio High School. The blonde boy had been holding onto her hand since after breakfast that morning – a way of making her feel secure.

Although Tanpopo had never truly cared for the principal of the school, she did know that Yamato could get into serious trouble if he did not wear his uniform. Of course, she had told him of this shyly, he shrugged and thanked her for her concern, but he would be fine.

Yamato's attire did not help her feelings of insecurity.

He wore all black – black baggy jeans, a black shirt, black sneakers, black wristband…He even wore a black necklace or two with a cross on one. His messy hair was left untamed, but a bit pulled into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck under which a tribal tattoo could be seen briefly.

Yamato glanced to Tanpopo, who turned away quickly when he caught her looking at him.

"What is it, Tan-ga? Something on my face?" He teased.

"Nuh-uh." She said while blushing prettily.

"Well, then, we should be getting to class now, ne?" Yamato gave her a sly smile and his gray eyes twinkled in mischief.

Tanpopo resisted the urge to groan. "Yama, what are you planning?"

He shakes his head and begins to pull me closer to the school. "Nothing, nothing. I was just wondering what kind of pranks we could pull…"

Tanpopo smiled and hit his arm playfully. "Not another one! Aoi is already scary enough."

"Oh, that computer geek you were telling me about?"

"Yes, that's him. Wait! He's not a computer geek!" Tanpopo exclaimed.

"Ha, ha. I'm just kidding, Tan-ga."

* * *

Koki sat at his desk, tapping his mechanical pencil up and down on his notebook. 

He hadn't heard from Tanpopo all weekend – she hadn't even showed up for the gardening committee in the morning.

Tsuki finally got up from her desk and walked toward Koki's. Slamming her fist down on the notebook, she demanded, "Have you seen Tanpopo?"

Koki looked startled for a moment, then as he recovered, he replied, "No…is something wrong?"

"No," Tsuki stated sarcastically, "Nothing is wrong. She just happened to forget that I needed her help on Saturday. All Saturday."

"Maybe she got sick," Erika said from the desk next to Koki. The dark haired girl smiled briefly before turning back to her work and muttering just out of the other's hearing range, _"Good riddance."_

As the final bell rang, Tsuki went back to her desk to sit down.

The teacher walked into the room, and just as the automatic door was closing, a hand shot out from the outside and stopped it.

Curious, many of the students turned their attention on the door, as well as the teacher.

"He's not a computer geek!" A girl's voice exclaimed.

"Ha, ha. I'm just kidding, Tan-ga." The boy said as he pushed the doors open.

The girls in the classroom stared at him in awe. He was gorgeous!

Even Erika was looking at him with a sly smile.

He didn't seem to notice, though. He closed his eyes briefly as he talked to the other person, pulling them inside the room as well.

"Yamazaki? Why are you tardy?" The teacher snapped, angry that the class had been disrupted.

"Uh…"

"That would be my fault, sensei." The boy said with a small smirk. "I forced Tan-ga here to show me around before heading to class. Seems I don't know the school grounds as well as I used to."

"And you are?" The teacher snarled, unaware as how unfazed the boy was.

"Yamato Tenou. Pleasure to meet you." He said, his eyes flashing.

"T-T-Tenou?" The teacher stuttered. "As in the corporation of-,"

The guy cut him off, "Yes, yes. All of that." He paused. "I'm the eldest."

"The- the eldest?" The teacher stuttered once more.

"Yes. Can we sit, or what?" Yamato said as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh, of course." The teacher muttered.

Tanpopo whispered something to the guy, and as he nodded, she led him towards her seat in the back, and motioned to the seat next to her.

The both sat, but the boy moved his desk closer to hers.

Only then did Koki notice that they – super rich Yamato Tenou and Hokkaido born Tanpopo Yamazaki – were holding hands.

* * *

"Come on, Ya-ku. Let's sit down." Tanpopo whispered hurriedly as she led the boy to her seat. 

As she sat down, he pulled his desk towards hers so that they were touching. Loosening her grip on his hand, she got out her notebook and began taking notes on the teacher's lesson.

About halfway through the lesson, Yamato moved a piece of paper over to her desk.

It read:

_Do you know the answer to number seventeen? I think it might be E._

Smiling slightly, she wrote back,

_No idea. My best guess is E, too. I'm hopeless in this class._

He chuckled and wrote, _No you're not, Tan-ga. You just need some help. I'm sure Shinogu would love to tutor you. He's going to university already – highest scores I've ever seen._

Tanpopo was fiddling with her skirt when Yamato passed the note back to her, and after she read his writing, she quickly furrowed her brow and answered with a set smile.

_But Shinogu is so busy. He works and attends university. I don't want to be a bother._

_Oh, don't worry so much, Tan-ga. I'm sure it'll be fine._

_But isn't he already tutoring Aaya-chan?_

_Yeah, him and Akane._

The teacher eyed them as they passed the note back and forth, but did not stop them. "And so, when the…" He went on with the lesson once more.

_I really don't want to bother him about it, Yama. He works so hard._

_All right. How about you ask Nao? He probably wouldn't mind._

_Yama, Nao lives in Hokkaido…_

_Ha, ha. That's right…_ Yamato drew a little smiley face next to this, including a sweat drop and a label that read, "dufus" under it.

_You amaze me sometimes, Ya-ku._

As Tanpopo finished writing and handed Yamato the note, the bell rang, signaling lunch.

Tanpopo stood, then waited as Yamato gathered his books. The walked out to the hallway to stash their books in her locker.

After that, they began their walk to the quad where everyone ate lunch.

Tanpopo heard her name being called and turned to see Arisa running up to greet her.

"Arisa, hello." Tanpopo said with a bright smile.

As Arisa began to speak, Yamato gave Tanpopo a look that clearly stated, _"your acting skills suck."_

"…have you been?" When Arisa stopped, Tanpopo frantically searched for an answer, but was saved by a small sound protruding from Yamato's pocket.

**_Blii blii blii blii, blii blii blii bli, blii blii blii blii bliii blii blii blii blii bli…_**

Flipping his cell phone open, he paused for a moment, reading the screen slowly before blinking once and handing it to Tanpopo.

It was a text message reading:

**Subject: Ruri**

**Tanpopo, it's Kazu. I just got the news that Ruri got into an accident. Something about her immune system?? I'm on my way to the hospital now. I'll keep you posted.**

There was yet another text message right after that one, reading:

**Subject: Hurry**

**Tanny, me again. Ruri just got transferred to Tokyo Central Hospital. I'll probably be over there in half an hour. Could you go see her? I tried calling, but they won't let me have any information if I'm not there in person. Hurry. Take care of my sister, Tanny.**

Tanpopo's heart nearly stopped.

Ruri was in trouble.

"We have to leave." She stated as she grabbed Yamato's hand and dragged him out of the quad. Tears were starting to flow down her cheeks. "Ya-ku, Ruri's at the hospital…"

Yamato put his arm around her before leading her over to his black car, making sure she had her seatbelt on and she wasn't totally breaking down, jumping into the driver's seat and flooring it all the way to Tokyo Central Hospital.

* * *

Koki observed as Arisa ran up to Tanpopo and began chatting away happily while eyeing the boy beside her friend like a piece of meat. 

Tanpopo and that guy seemed to have a silent conversation before Tanpopo turned her attention back to Arisa with a guilty look of, _"I didn't hear a word you just said!"_ But before Arisa could demand an answer, that boy – Yamato Tenou – pulled out a cell phone from one of the various pockets of his jeans and after studying it for a moment, handed it to Tanpopo.

Koki could see realization and horror flick across Tanpopo's face as she read what was on the phone. Ignoring Arisa's protests, the girl grabbed Tenou and pulled him towards the parking lot.

"Not this time," He thought worriedly, "If Tanpopo won't talk to me, I'll have to find out what's wrong myself."

He stood, despite Erika's quiet protests, and headed in the direction of the parking lot as Tenou and Tanpopo had done moments before.

His eyebrow rose slightly as he saw Tenou strapped Tanpopo into the seatbelt and gave her an assuring kiss on the forehead before getting into the driver's seat and driving away quickly.

"What is going on with them?"

Just as the words left his mouth, he turned around to find that Aoi, Tsukiko, Arisa, and Erika, all curious, were coming over to investigate what was wrong.

"It's nothing." Koki told them quickly.

"Right, Koki, like I'll believe that." Arisa said with a scowl. Looking around confusedly, she asked, "Where's Tanpopo? I coulda sworn I saw her coming this way."

Koki shrugged before stuffing his hands in his pockets and starting to walk away.

Tsuki followed close behind Aoi, while Arisa lagged back a bit, as she wasn't keen on going back to class.

Koki did not notice that Erika stayed behind, a scowl set on her face, glaring at his back.

* * *

Erika gave an angry expression when Koki began walking back after placing his hands in his pockets. 

The others of the group had already left, so she stood alone – angry.

"_If I can't have him, Tanpopo Yamazaki,"_ Erika whispered, _"No one can."

* * *

_

_**Everything's changing when I turn around,**_

_**All out of my control, I'm a mobile**_

_**Everything's changing everywhere I go,**_

_**All out of my control, I'm a mobile**_

_**Start back at this life**_

_**Stretch myself back into the vibe**_

_**I'm waking up to say I tried**_

_**Instead of waking up to another TV guide**_

_**It's time now to turn around**_

_**Turn and walk on this crazy ground**_

_**Oh, oh, oh…**_

_**Everything's changing when I turn around,**_

_**All out of my control, I'm a mobile**_

_**Everything's changing everywhere I go,**_

_**All out of my control, I'm a mobile...**_

* * *

Yes, I know it's shorter, but I'm still experimenting with this. Ha, ha. 

If you can guess what the ring tone was for Yama's phone, you get the next chapter dedicated to you!

Here it is again:

**_"Blii blii blii blii, blii blii blii bli, blii blii blii blii bliii blii blii blii blii bli…"_**

Well, I'm off now to do boring stuff…like scarf down some food and watch TV. P.S. the song above is "Mobile." I think it fits (and no, it isn't the ring tone).

**I know, I need a life. U**

**Pyro**

**December 20, 2004**


	3. Tomorrow

_Authoress: OfficiallyObsessedwithPyro_

_Inspiration: Music…and the fact that my brother wants me to update sooner so that he can stop bothering me so much about it (as he is my alpha reader…and beta…)_

_Summary: You haven't forgotten it so soon, have you?_

_Notes: This is mostly a filler chapter, I admit it, but that doesn't mean you should skip it, because it'll be in reference for the next chapter. Just some warning for all of you lazy people!_

_Note Two: Everything is set back a day or two, so Erika and Koki kissed _before_ the end of the rose exchange. That's in the next chapter. Hope you like!_

_Note Three: I'm sorry this is out so late. I started it…then stopped writing right smack dab in the middle of this damnable chapter and now the internet isn't working so it might be out on the eleventh._

_I began working on this chapter: 1/3/05_

_I actually finished this chapter: 1/10/05_

_I posted this chapter: 1/29/05_

_Rating: Orange Juice_

_Review Responses:_

_**-hi5 **(it was long? I don't think anyone has ever told me that before…o.O…Thanks for reviewing!), **Jessica **(oh, it was nothing (grins) That was just me writing this story that popped into my head a while ago…Thanks for reviewing (anyway)!), **Jessica Kelley **(Yeah, glad you liked it. Thanks for reviewing), **thunder sister **(Thanks so much. And don't worry, I update once a month or maybe twice if I'm in a good mood and if time will allow (ha, don't I sound so smart). AcK! (cowers under desk) Don't kill me! And thanks for reviewing. Really made my day.), **Julie **(I know. I hate Erika too. Almost as much as Kikyou, and that's saying something. Well, thanks for reviewing and here's the update!), **Aphtin **(I'm sorry it was so confusing. I was playing around with the point-of-views and I got a bit distracted while I was writing it. Oh, well. Thanks for reviewing!), **Tsuki-chan! **(Thank you, thank you! (bows and frowns when there's very little applause) oh, whatever. Thank you for reviewing!), **Tsuki-chan! **(heehee. (grins insanely) NO MORE CHRISTMAS SONGS! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Thanks for reviewing again!), **Darkwitchchick **(So do I! I've been waiting for the 4th volume since the beginning of December (I think) and I'm soooo angry that the next one hasn't come out in my town! Grr! Thanks for reviewing!), **Darkwitchchick **(ACK! Thanks for reminding me! I almost forgot about the rose exchange! HOW could I forget about that??? Well, we'll find out in a little bit…heehee…well, not really, but it comes later on in the story. Thanks for reviewing twice!!! YAY!)_

* * *

_Imadoki: Don't Cry_

_Chapter Three_

_By: OfficiallyObsessedwithPyro_

* * *

**Later**

Yamato grabbed himself a coffee and an extra soda before leaving the cafeteria and heading back towards Ruri's room. Tanpopo was already inside, sitting at her friend's bedside sobbing.

"Tan-ga, come on." Yamato murmured, pulling his friend outside.

When they reached the other side of the door, Tanpopo broke down into tears. "I hate this." She sobbed. "I hate the fact that Ruri's in the hospital. I hate that I can't wake her up. I hate that I don't want to be here when I should be here…because she needs me. And all of it sucks."

Slinging an arm around her shoulder, the blonde-haired boy sighed. "We can't change what's happened, Tan-ga. Ruri's here because she needs help. The doctors can help her – we can't. The most we can do is be here and support her whenever she wakes up."

"I know…" Tanpopo sniffled. "But it still sucks."

Yamato chuckled and gave her an affectionate squeeze. "It's gonna be alright, Tan-ga. You'll see."

He led her over to one of the couches and they sat down, Tanpopo leaning onto him for support.

"I know you're right, Ya-ku…" Tanpopo paused to sneeze. "But it still sucks."

* * *

Koki sat at his desk fingering his letter opener. Bored, he set that down in his right hand side desk drawer and pulled out a pen and a piece of paper. Scribbling a few lines, he threw the pen down on the desk and slammed his fist onto the desk's hard cherry wood top. 

He was worried.

Worried about Tanpopo.

Sitting back in his chair he stared at the ceiling and whistled a little tune.

"Maybe I should just forget it…she's got that Tenou boy," Koki said aloud…

"No way!" The noise came fast.

"Huh?" Koki sat up straight at his desk and looked around. "Who's there?"

"I'm your conscience, dummy!" The voice said, then demanded, "Do you know how much pain you've inflicted on that poor girl just _by_ forgetting that she was around? You sure can be a jerk sometimes, man."

"But I have to marry Erika…" Koki frowned. "I don't really…I don't think I feel that way about her, but I have to…My parents…"

"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to explain the whole thing. I'm your conscience, remember?"

"Oh." Koki said with a slight blush to his face.

"Oh, and _puh_lease. You're worried about your parents? You're such a wimp."

Koki frowned and his face flushed. "Hey!"

"Look, all I'm saying is that you should do what you want. Even if you come from a rich family, there are some…standards, right? FORGET THE STANDARDS! Throw the rulebook out the window! If you don't, you're gonna end up miserable with nothing that you really want."

"Good advice…" Koki murmured as he brought out his letter opener once more. Running his hand over the sharpened tip, he grabbed it in the fashion of a dagger and slammed it down on his desk, creating a hole in the printed paper that was supposedly his and Erika's "wedding invitations."

Popping up from behind the couch conveniently placed on the right hand side of the desk, Yoji's head appeared with a stupid smile.

Prying the letter opener from the desk, Koki gave a sadistic smile as he advanced on his older brother.

"So, _conscience_…how about I punch you so hard you need a doctor?"

* * *

Kazutaka ran up the steps of the Tokyo Central Hospital in a rush. Speeding up to the counter, he slammed his fist on it and demanded to the lady there, "I need to know which room Ruri Nakajo is in." 

"I'm sorry, sir, but I cannot allow you to have that informa-."

Cutting off her little speech, he cried out, "Look lady, one of my best friends – practically my sister – is in there right now, and I have no idea what's going on with her. Now, either you tell me where she is or I can pull my little rich-brat trick and tell my grandfather, who happens to know one of the founders of this hospital, about your hospital's failure to let me see one of my best friends!"

The woman behind the desk nodded with a shocked look on her face before telling him the room number and that there were two visitors for the patient.

Not risking losing any more time, Kazutaka sped down the hallway to find his friends.

Finding his friends sitting outside Ruri's room, he paused, seeing the position they were in. Tanpopo was sitting on Yamato's lap, resting her head on his shoulder, and his arms were wrapped around her waist.

Chuckling, he kicked Yamato on the leg, causing the blonde-haired boy to loose his balance and almost drop Tanpopo on the ground. Saving her before she hit the floor, Yamato glared at the dark-haired boy and nudged Tanpopo until she awoke.

"Kazu!" Tanpopo cried, jumping into the man's arms and hugging him. Stepping back, she smiled briefly before telling him, "We're not allowed in right now. The doctors are in there." She motioned to the door that had a small plastic box with Ruri's name on the side.

"Do you know what's going on with her?" Kazutaka asked, giving Tanpopo a hopeful glance.

Tanpopo's gaze fell to the hospital floor and she was silent for a moment before shaking her head in a sad, 'no.'

"They won't tell us a damn thing." Yamato said with a scowl. "It's agitating."

Tanpopo grabbed his arm. "Ya-ku, I know you're worried, but don't do anything stupid." She turned to Kazutaka, "You too, Kazu."

The three friends sat down on the bench and began their wait.

Some while later, the door to Ruri's room opened and out stepped a young man in his early twenties. His dark hair swayed as he closed the door right before fixing his glasses and doctor's coat.

"Is she going to be alright?" Tanpopo burst out before Yamato or Kazutaka could stop her.

The doctor studied Tanpopo's face before saying, "You're her friends?"

"Yes." Yamato said, pulling Tanpopo back before she lunged at the man and demanded what was wrong with her friend.

He messed with his glasses for a while longer before introducing himself. "My name is Doctor Nakai. Your friend Ruri Nakajo has a very…terrible condition…"

* * *

_**And I wanna believe you**_

_**When you tell me that it will be okay**_

_**Ya, I try to believe you**_

_**But I don't**_

_**When you say that it's gonna be**_

_**It always turns out to be a different way**_

_**I try to believe you**_

_**Not today…**_

_**I don't know how I'll feel**_

_**Tomorrow, tomorrow**_

**_I don't know what to say_**

**_Tomorrow, tomorrow is a different day_**

* * *

Yeah, short, I know. Just review and it'll be longer next time!

-Pyro

ciao.


End file.
